Hey Colt- I hope you’re eating all of your food. I’ve already lost all that muscle weight we put on for football. My lawyer said that you admitted to lying and that’s why you only got five years, because you made a deal. You and Baxter should have left “fresh’s” little sister alone, man. Try to stay out of trouble. Just do your time, and quit writing me. I can’t be your friend anymore. I’m sorry. Josh
It’s cold in November where we grew up. Bonfires and football, that’s what it was all about. Colt had a jacked-up truck with mudding tires that could get us wherever we needed to party in the woods. We would back all of the trucks in, drop the tailgates, build a fire, and play music. Maybe, if I was lucky, Jacie would make out with me. She only did it to get attention most of the time. The night our lives changed forever, I noticed that Jacie had left the bonfire. I saw a truck with fogged windows and suspected the worst: my girl making out with someone else. I raged toward the truck and flung the door open. Jacie was consoling Colt’s girl friend.
“Get in and shut the door,” Jacie said.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Colt broke up with her. So severe and embarrassing. Like, why even do a whole prom-posal and all of that?”
“Shit, sorry Marney,” I said. Marney leaned on Jacie. She would sniff and howl, it was somewhat of a show. I’m pretty sure it was from drinking too much beer.
“Where’s Colt?” I asked.
“He just walked away into the woods,” Marney said.
“You know where he went. He’s had a crush on Oma since the second grade and her house is right over that hill,” Jacie said as she pointed into the woods. “She’s so disgusting, total trash. She obviously doesn’t know who she’s messing with.” Jacie grabbed a tall bottle of dark liquor from the floor and drank it. Marney grabbed it from her and took a big gulp, then tried to pass it to me.
“No thanks, I’m good. I’m going to go check on him.” The problem with rich kids is that they have all their parent’s alcohol to drink, and if they can’t get it from them, they have the money to buy it off of someone else. And boy, can they drink. I just started hanging out with Colt this year. I hit my growth spurt late and suddenly became a top lineman on the football team. Spending so much time with the guys made it easy to make new friends, and after Jacie started liking me, it was like I had a whole new life at school. I like going to the parties to hang out, but I pretended to drink most of the time. I didn’t like feeling out of control. I had already been handed five new beers because the guys thought I was keeping up with them, but the truth was that I would just throw it back in the cooler and keep holding my empty one.
* * *
Dear Josh
I’m really sorry about all of this. You know Jacie is crazy, I mean, I love her to death but no one asked her to set Oma’s house on fire, regardless of what Oma said. I knew Colt always liked Oma, but I never thought he would rape her. That’s crazy! I dated Colt all of high school and I’ve never seen him do anything like that. This is all really Oma’s fault. See Josh, you weren’t part of the group back when Oma and Jacie were friends. Jacie didn’t always have a rich family, you know. Her mom married that famous lawyer in our town, and then it was like a whole new Jacie. After that it was like Jacie did everything she could to disassociate with Oma. I heard a rumor once that Oma threatened to tell her mom that Jacie wasn’t a virgin, and well, you know in this small town that would not work for her church-going family. Jacie told me that Oma tortured her for years with secrets and said that if she didn’t give Oma money that she would tell Jacie’s mom everything.
At least we’ll be out of this place soon enough. I can’t wait to get back home. Did you know that “fresh” asked Jacie to the prom? I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to get mad at him. Well, I’m going to write again in a week.
Take care Josh, Marney
* * *
Marney-- Thanks for writing. About two more months and I’ll be out. You won’t be too far behind. I didn’t know that about Lin, but that doesn’t matter now. School’s done, and we’re adults when we get back. I’ll probably go to college out of state, or maybe go to a trade school so I can get out of our town. You should probably plan to do the same. Josh
P.S. You know Oma never did that. They proved it in court.
Oma had no bad intentions. Oma never extorted Jacie. Oma was an easy target, and that was her only fault. The girls were just mean, ruthless almost. I don't know why, but I really thought a jail sentence would change their perspectives. Instead, they are sitting in jail cells still trying to justify what they have done. I’ve only got two weeks left, and I intend to leave this place and never come back. I’ll have a six-month head start to disappear, and I plan to do just that.
* * *
Joshey - Colt wrote me and said that you don’t want to be friends anymore. I told him you were probably depressed or something and to just not worry about it. I know you’re getting out soon, and I can’t wait to see you. I didn’t get any letters from you, but the mail girl in here hates me so I’m probably not getting anything at all. You’d think she’d be more scared of me, being a MURDERER and all. I was so drunk, I didn’t think anyone would die. My dad’s legal team says they’ll get the case retried because I wasn’t eighteen yet. I might be out of here in ten years if that happens. You know I love you Joshey, and I keep you in my dreams. Write me back, okay? I love you! Jacie
I never wrote her, and I never will. Jacie has zero remorse about what she did. The crime was not pre-meditated murder, so she’s probably right that her rich dad can get her sentence reduced.
* * *
I left the truck and headed in the direction of Oma’s house. I walked slowly, listening for any voices that might lead me to Colt. Oma’s house was dimly lit and the smell of chimney smoke filled the woods. I heard grunting and plants rustling near by, and walked slowly to spy on what Colt was up to. As I got closer, I could make out the figures of two people lying on the ground. One was on top of the other, and I was sure that they were having sex. There was heavy breathing, and there was no mistaking what the hip thrusting movement was.
“Hey, what are you doing? Oh my god, Colt?” It was Oma. A man jumped to his feet and ran toward Oma. His belt clanked as he struggled to pull up his pants.
“Hey Oma, hey, I’m sorry, look, it’s not what you think it is,” Baxter said. Colt stood, horrified, and stared at Oma. “You can’t tell anyone, Oma. It’s a secret, okay? This town will persecute us for this. You can’t tell anyone. Promise me. Promise me!” Baxter said as he shook Oma’s shoulders.
“Wow-- didn’t know you two were an item,” Oma said. She smiled, looking pleased to know. “It’s no big deal. Just get off the property, you’re making the dogs bark and my dad is getting mad.” I watched Oma walk back to the house. The front door closed and Baxter turned to Colt.
“She’s fine. She won’t say anything, Colt. Let’s go back to the party and act like nothing happened,” Baxter said.
“Are you kidding me? If she says anything my dad will KILL me. Do you understand, KILL ME. If he finds out, it’s all over. College, football, everything. My life will be over. Fuck!”
I was shocked, and recounted everything I knew about their friendship. Colt was the first person to make a homophobic slur at anyone. Baxter was always his “trusty bro”, going hunting or fishing with Colt. Their families were long time friends, and devout in their religious beliefs. Colt and Baxter grew up and did everything together, including this. I didn’t care now that I knew, but this whole town would. I felt bad for Colt, because I knew what he said was true. Colt and Baxter would be disowned, left to drift into adulthood.
“I have to stop Oma,” Colt said.
“What are you talking about?” Baxter asked.
“We’re going to slip back into the party and I’m going to tell Marney that
I fucked Oma in the woods. You keep your mouth shut. If Oma says anything about us at school no one will believe her. I’ll just tell everyone that she’s just mad because she gave it up to me,” Colt said.
“Whatever, let’s just get out of here.” I hid behind a tree as they passed and followed them back to the party. Marney was still in the truck, pouting and blasting on social media how she couldn’t go to Prom now. Colt opened the truck door.
“You should know that not only are we done, but I slept with Oma in the woods. We’re never getting back together,” Colt said. I walked back over to my empty beer to watch the fall out of the bomb Colt just dropped. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I heard phone notifications go off all around me, and we all stood in shock, reading the updates. Posts flooded the screen about how Colt raped Oma in the woods. There was only one problem. The social media posts were from accounts that were clearly not Oma’s.
Oma was poor and didn’t have a phone, or a computer, or WIFI. Every day after practice, I would pass the library on my way to the student parking lot, and I would see her. Oma had to use the school computers for everything, even if it meant staying after every day to complete her papers. The posts continued to update from “Oma”. I ran to the truck and opened the door.
“Stop it, Marney. I know it’s you,” I said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Marney said. She rolled her eyes and slammed the truck door shut.
“I’m gonna kill her. Oh, she’s fucking with my best friend? Really?” Jacie said. Jacie was typically an angry drunk. She’d start fights with people or sometimes break things just to be outrageous. Jacie jumped onto the truck bed and demanded the attention of the party.
“You don’t screw with Seniors, am I right?” The kids cheered. “Well, little Oma is not a Senior, and no one messes with us, am I right?” The kids were glazed over, rooting for whatever Jacie said. I didn’t think they ever understood what they were cheering for. Jacie yelled, they responded. “We’re gonna burn the witch!” Jacie began a slow chant, “Burn the witch. Burn the witch. Burn the witch.” One by one, the voices echoed her like soulless robots.
Jacie grabbed a can of gas near the fire and ran into the woods.
“Oh she’s gonna get it,” Marney said as she picked up a bottle of lighter fluid and walked over to Colt. “You like that little bitch so much, well, you’re going to feel what I feel now.” Colt then made probably the worst decision of his life.
“I don’t even like her, and if she’s saying that shit then I’ll lose my college ride. Give me that,” Colt said. He took the lighter fluid from Marney’s hand, and they left together to join the rest in the woods. I waited until the last person was gone and called 911. The fire department arrived too late.
* * *
I leave tomorrow; it’s been one hundred and seventy-nine days. I shouldn’t have partied underage, but I did the right thing by calling for help. The persecuting attorney painted me as an accomplice, so the judge felt this was the most appropriate sentence. Maybe I could have said something more about Marney’s fake accounts. Maybe I should have said something in the woods to Colt and Baxter. Maybe I should have just body slammed Jacie to the ground right there when she started yelling to her minions. Maybe I should have never been there in the first place.
Baxter and I were guilt of being apathetic. Marney was guilty of being a liar. Colt was guilty of being a co-conspirator. Jacie was guilty of being a murderer. Oma was guilty of nothing, and her "punishment" was greater than any of ours.
About the Author
Collins York is a short story writer, novelist, and scientific entrepreneur. Currently earning a BFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment at Full Sail University, she crafts science fiction, fantasy, horror, and other worldly stories that contaminate the soul. Collins uses unique situations and diverse characters from her personal and professional experiences in the aviation, engineering, and meteorology industries to create fictional settings that feel way too real. Currently working as a business project leader in the panhandle of Florida, you can find this fiction enthusiast online at https://www.linkedin.com/in/writercollinsyork.
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